Page 30 of Until We Burn
This time, the mask of the cold, unbothered heiress falls away. All I can see is a girl wracked by guilt that has me softening up inside.
I ease up enough to step off the ice and settle down onto the player’s bench. “I’m sorry, too.”
Diana drops down beside me, looking confused. “For what?”
“For what I said to you at the dinner party.” I slip off my glove andrake my hand through my hair, gripping the curls tight. “I was anxious and pissed off from what your mom, your brothers, and your sister were saying. I felt like I was watching myself be picked apart by the rumors all over again with nothing I can do to stop it.”
“I’m sorry about my family.” Diana shakes her head. “I try to talk some sense into them. It doesn’t always work.”
I snort, smirking back at her. “I appreciated you ripping into your brother for me, though.”
Diana laughs. The sound echoes around the arena, silvery and carefree, and I want to hear it again. “Ripping into Gregory happens to be a hobby of mine.”
I chuckle. All of the tension in my bones unwind as Diana smiles at me. Not that proper, rehearsed one I see on TV. This smile is wry and wicked as it slowly sneaks across her lips.
Diana holds out the goods in her hands. “Truce?”
I take the bag and the coffee cup, our fingers brushing as I do. “Truce.”
My brows arch in surprise when I take a sip. “How do you know I like the dark roast with brown sugar?”
Diana pales. Her words churn out, taut and careful. “The barista was a big fan of yours.”
“Oh.” My brow arches. “Was she?”
“Mhm.” Diana recomposes herself and raises her chin with the confidence of someone who believes they’re right. “I simply told her I was buying coffee for you, and she simply knew what your order was.”
“Sounds…simple,” I muse.
Diana shyly avoids my gaze, wrapping her arms around herself.
Her phone suddenly rings.
She answers it with her thumbs fiddling. “Hans, is everything okay?”
His response has her springing to her feet. “Oh my god, are you alright?”
A man’s strong, accented voice answers on the other end. I watch Diana’s face change, disappointment and worry heightening after hisevery word. When he goes quiet, Diana sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.
“No, that’s perfectly fine. Take care of yourself first. I’ll figure something out.” She nods with a weary smile. “Yes, of course. Thank you, Hans.”
I dart to my feet the moment she ends the call.
“What’s the matter?”
“That’s my driver.” Diana rubs her forehead as she types on her phone. “There’s a media scandal that Gregory is tossed up in with that popstar, Sasha Vellair. Apparently, they’ve been seeing each other in secret, and it’s all been exposed. Now, her fans are raging at our gates. Sophia is the only one at home, but even she can’t leave. The fans went after all the cars, and now I won’t be able to get back home until it’s all resolved.”
Of course that dipshit Gregory is the one who fucked everything up.
“Is there anything you can do about it?” I ask.
“Not really.” Diana looks so worried that she can barely hold her phone still. “Hans said he’ll be picking me up a little later than usual, and I’ll probably be staying at a hotel downtown.”
“Diana, you can’t stay on campus for that long in September.”
“Why not?”
“It gets empty and dark after three. I just got my project partner to work with me. I’m not letting her get kidnapped by some creep who likes lurking on university campuses.” I hesitate, my fingers tightening on my hockey stick. “Why don’t you…why don’t you stay at my place?”
